The Los Angeles Rams shocked much of the Los Angeles Rams fanbase over the weekend when they traded wide receiver Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans for a sixth round pick. The trade garnered harsh criticism from the fan base not only because of what Woods meant to the team, but the fact that the Rams also only got a sixth round pick.
What Woods meant to this Rams team cannot be understated. Losing leaders like Robert Woods and Andrew Whitworth in the same offseason won’t go unnoticed. With that said however, trade aside, a simply thank you to Robert Woods doesn’t quite seem like enough.
To say that I wasn’t a fan of the Robert Woods signing in 2017 would be an understatement. In fact, I called the Robert Woods singing the first failure of the McVay era. Blinded by bitter and negativity from five years of Jeff Fisher, I couldn’t see the upside what Woods could bring to the Rams.
Reading back, “yikes” doesn’t even begin to describe it.
“The Rams gave Woods, a 24-year old average number two receiver in Buffal a five year deal worth $39-million which averages out to around $8-million per year. This is a receiver that has never accumulated 700 receiving yards or more than five touchdowns in a season. Woods had just 10 more receptions and 49 more yards than Brian Quick with the Rams.”
This is a take that I regret. I counted Woods out before he even stepped on the field. Woods couldn’t have proved me more wrong and it didn’t take him long to do so.
After Torry Holt left in 2009, the Rams dealt with some bad wide receivers. Donnie Avery led the offense in receiving yards in 2009 with 589 yards. That’s only the beginning of the list. Danny Amendola, Brandon Lloyd, Chris Givens, Jared Cook, and Kenny Britt were the receivers between the duo of Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt and Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp.
In his first season with the Rams, Robert Woods outperformed all of those guys and set a career high in yards. I was in New York for his first touchdown as a Ram as he took a screen pass on 3rd-and-33 for a 52 yard touchdown. I was also there for his second to last touchdown in a Rams uniform.
Robert Woods just weaved through the entire Giants defense on 3rd-and-33 (!!!) for a 52-yard TD pic.twitter.com/qIPoBQJeuM
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) November 5, 2017
Wood helped lead the Rams to their first postseason appearance and division title in more than a decade. When Cooper Kupp went down in 2018, it was Robert Woods who stepped up and became the team’s number one wide receiver.
Despite not being on the field, Woods played a huge role in the Rams’ Super Bowl run last season. Woods helped bring in Odell Beckham Jr. and despite getting injured days later, helped Van Jefferson, and stuck by Cooper Kupp’s side.
His embrace with Cooper Kupp after the NFC Championship game showed just how much it hurt him not to be on the field and battling for his teammates.
"I love you, family."
This moment between @CooperKupp and @RobertWoods is everything. 💙 @InsideTheNFL pic.twitter.com/CsSHFgZPip
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 31, 2022
Robert Woods will without a doubt be missed and he’ll go down as a Rams legend. Despite just playing 4.5 years, Woods ranks 10th all-time in receiving yards and eighth in receptions in Rams franchise history. He did that in 68 games, the fewest for any Rams wide receiver inside the top-10.
However, it wasn’t just his receiving abilities. When the Rams needed someone to get their hands dirty, Woods was there. He became one of the best blocking wide receivers in the NFL. As mentioned earlier, his leadership can’t go left unsaid as well.
What’s ironic is that while I was upset that the Rams signed Robert Woods in 2017, I might be even more upset that he’s leaving. This Los Angeles Rams team won’t be the same without him.
That’s not to say that I’m not happy with the Allen Robinson signing. I am excited for what Robinson will bring to the table. He’s a different kind of wide receiver that the Rams have had under Sean McVay. I’ll get to that later. However, being upset that Robert Woods is leaving and excited for Allen Robinson don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
To finish, I’ll just say, thank you Robert Woods for everything you brought to the Rams and did for the Rams franchise. Thank you for proving me dead wrong. Good luck in Tennessee!
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